


Broken Flames

by 22FluffyTheSpider123



Series: Dad Master Grimm [1]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Grimm has a nightmare, based on an art, its not pretty, kids are worried about their dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22685455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/22FluffyTheSpider123/pseuds/22FluffyTheSpider123
Summary: Short story based onthis heartbreaking art post.I decided to give it a happy(ish) ending.
Relationships: Grimm & Grimmchild (Hollow Knight), Grimm & The Knight (Hollow Knight)
Series: Dad Master Grimm [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659166
Comments: 34
Kudos: 179





	Broken Flames

Grimm found himself surrounded by darkness. But not the darkness he was accustomed to.

There was always the light. The light of the scarlet flame to guide him in his dreams. But it was no longer here now.

Something wasn’t right.

He cast his gaze around, looking for that light, a faint feeling of worry building up inside. Where was it? Where did it go?

Suddenly he was surrounded by a barren wasteland. Grimm blinked a few times, taking in this sudden change of scenery. It looked very much like the old town of dirtmouth. He recognised the buildings and lumafly lamps.

But this time it was different.

It was covered in infection.

The sickly orange growths of the infection bulged out from the now derelict and crumbling buildings, connected to tubes growing out from cracks within the ground. Even the lumafly lamps that were once a bright white now glowed with that terrible orange from within.

Grimm took a few steps back, his eyes darting around as panic started to build up. His home – his troupe – was also nowhere to be seen.

_What’s going on? How did he get here? Where was his troupe? Had they been taken by the infection?_

_…Where was his **child?**_

That last thought burned through Grimm more fiercely than the scarlet flames that gave him his existence.

“My child!” Grimm called out desperately. “My child where are you?!”

His cries echoed across the dying town. The gelatinous blobs of infection seemed to reverberate in response. But there was no answering call.

Grimm felt terror start to build but he forced it down. This was no time to be panicking he had to stay focused and _find his little one!_

Just as Grimm was about to call out again, he saw something a little way off from the corner of his eye.

It takes him a moment to realize it’s little Ghost – the small vessel of the Pale King whom he had entrusted his child to.

Grimm felt a mix of emotion rise up in him – hope, worry and even a bit of anger. He had entrusted his child to this one. His child should be with him. He should be keeping them safe.

But little Ghost was laying on the ground facing away and not moving. His child was still nowhere to be seen.

Grimm cautiously approached, but he already feared he knew what he would find. Even so, it did not stop him.

“Little ghost?” he asked uncertainly as he knelt down beside the tiny form. Still no response. Not even a twitch.

Fear burning inside his chest, Grimm reached out with a slightly shaky hand and turned over the vessels body.

What he saw shook him to his very core.

Ghost’s body had been viciously shredded nearly beyond recognition. Grimm recoiled from shock. He could just make out three long slash marks across the dark frail shell that made their form, and a strange black liquid oozed out of the open wounds and the eye holes of the fractured mask that covered their head.

Ghost was gone.

Horrified, Grimm backed away bringing a hand to his mouth. What manner of creature could have done this?

“My child!” He cried out loudly, desperation and panic filling his entire being. Whatever had done this was clearly powerful and very deadly. He had to find his child before-

“Grruglraah?”

Grimm started and snapped his head around. He knew that sound anywhere. That was his child!

“My child! Where are you?” He called again, trying to pinpoint the location of the noise.

“Grraaahgle!”

It was coming from behind those nearby rocks. Grimm made to approach but hesitated as a cold realisation settled into his mind. Those sounds were unmistakable his child’s but something about it did not sound right.

There also just so happened to be infection growing very close by to the rocks the sounds were emanating from.

Grimm felt his heart drop like a heavy block of ice.

_No…_

For a long moment, he was frozen on the spot unable to move or do anything. But Grimm eventually managed to force his feet to move him towards the rocks.

Time seemed to slow down. He wanted desperately to run but at the same time wanting to walk as slowly as possible as to not face the very terrifying and likely truth that lay ahead.

_Please no…_

He wanted to call out, but his throat had seized up from the immense fear that was currently spread throughout his whole mind and body.

Turns out he didn’t need to. His feet scuffling the ground as he approached was enough to draw his child out from behind the rocks and into view.

And Grimm’s entire world slammed to a chilling halt.

The first thing he saw where the two giant orange cysts emanating from his child’s head. Other smaller ones covered the child’s body, and its once ruby red eyes were now bulged and swollen, filled with orange infection.

The child hovered before him, their flight uneven and barely keeping them aloft. Upon seeing him, the child opened its mouth, baring its fangs as infection dripped from its tiny gaping maw.

“Mraaah!”

Grimm placed a hand over his mouth, utterly horrified. His heart felt as though it had been encased in ice, and his chest became tight. He could barely breath.

_It couldn’t… why… how…_

Grimm fell to his knees in near disbelief, unable to tear his eyes away from the hissing gurgling child before him.

_My child… I…_

Flashbacks shot through his mind – The first time his child was born combined with the essence of the scarlet flames heart and his own body’s. The first time he had held them in his arms. The love and protective warmth he felt in his chest upon seeing their sleeping curled form.

The first time they opened their little eyes. The first time they had seen him... their father. Their parent. How he had introduced them to the rest of his troupe… their family…

He remembered his first dance with little Ghost. How he had entrusted his most precious child to the child of the Pale being, so that they could consume the flames and continue to grow.

How proud he felt at seeing his child grow and travel alongside the vessel child he now almost viewed among one of his own.

But the vessel child was dead, and his beloved child now taken by the very infection created by his most hated enemy.

He had not been able to protect them.

He had _failed._

“Oh… Oh my child…”

Grimm removed his hand, his eyes stinging with unshed tears as he reached for his little one. The child hissed and spat that disgusting orange liquid at him as he reached out to gather the child in his arms.

“I’m so sorry…” Grimm whispered, holding his child close. The child struggled but he only held them closer.

His entire body _burned._

The child he held hissed and bit into his arms. The infection burned into his shell, but Grimm did not notice. It was nothing compared to the utter burning pain and anguish he was feeling inside.

“I’m… I’m so…”

Scarlet flames flickered from Grimm’s arms.

“So…”

The flames grew more intense, and the child sensing what was happening began to struggle and trash and bite even more. But Grimm held it tight as the flames grew.

_“Sorry…”_

The child barely had a chance to utter a sound as it was suddenly engulfed in fierce scarlet flames.

It was over in seconds. The ash slipped from between his arms as Grimm wrapped them tightly around his chest instead. He leaned forward, sobs finally breaking free and wracking his form as he muttered the same words over and over in a broken voice.

The fire inside only continued to grow fiercer and more painful, trying to break free. His entire body burned, and his chest felt as though it was going to explode.

Grimm could no longer hold the anguish inside.

The fire broke free, _raging_ and _angry_ and filled with great despair and complete and utter _sorrow_ at what he had done.

_I’m so sorry…_

The burning flames engulfed Grimm as his mouth opened wide and he _**screamed.**_

\---

Grimm’s scream was cut off as he hit the ground after falling from where he had been sleeping upside down in his place of rest. Disorientated, confused and his ears ringing from his own screams Grimm scrambled and stumbled, not fully aware of where he was or what was happening.

It was dark, but he could still feel the intense burning heat from his flames burning into his shell. He breathed heavy and hard, staring down at a scarlet floor his thoughts running crazy and uncontrolled.

_My child! Where is he?_

_My child is dead!_

_No.. He’s dead!_

_I killed him.._

**_I KILLED HIM-_ **

Grimm’s vision swam as the horrifying realization and he gripped his head tightly in his hands, claws digging into the shell, and his mouth open in a silent scream.

_No! My Child! What have I done!_

_No… The infection! It killed him.. I… I had no choice…_

_Oh Gods… What have I done.._

_What have I done…_

_What have I done_

_WHAT HAVE **I DONE-**_

“Mreh?”

Grimm froze, his entire thought process shattering into a million pieces at the sound of that all too familiar chirrup.

_…My child? But how.._

He blinked, long and slow. He moved his shaking hands from his head and pressed them against the floor. His face was only inches away from it.

Grimm let out a long and shaky breath and slowly pushed himself up into a more sitting position, though he remained slouched.

His wings quivered and his entire body shook. His eyes stared off into the distance. He still wasn’t all there, his mind still halfway between dream state and awareness. But he could have sworn he heard the chirrup of his little one.

_But… but they were… He… the infection.. he ki-_

“MREH!”

Grimm jolted and he let out a sharp exhale as he turned his head around sharply.

A bright pair of ruby red eyes and another pair as dark as the void stared back at him.

Grimm blinked. As his vision slowly came back into focus, he saw little Ghost standing before him. There were no shredded wounds, their shell was not fractured and there was no black substance leaking from their body. They were whole and healthy and alive.

And his child was hovering beside them.

There were no cysts. No orange goo oozing from their mouth. They were not infected.

They were not a pile of sizzling ash.

They were _alive._

Grimm made a choked sound, unable to form any words as pained relief flooded into his system. However as much as he wanted to reach out and pull them close, Grimm instead covered his mouth with a hand and shut his eyes as he turned his head away.

_No.. it wasn’t possible.. he saw them.. they were…_

Grimm’s free hand tightened into a fist. His mind must be playing some kind of cruel joke. Was this the Radiance’s doing? Was it not enough that she had to take away his little one and now she was throwing this false hope at him too?

He bared his teeth in fury. _How **DARE SHE-**_

“Mrrrup?”

A soft thump against his arm snapped Grimm out of his brief murderous intent and he gasped. He looked down. His little one was sat by his arm – which had tiny flickers of scarlet flames emerging from his dark shell – staring up at him with concerned wide red eyes.

“Mraah!” The child chirruped again and nuzzled their head against his trembling arm.

It took Grimm a long moment to process what he was seeing. Once he did, he finally moved again, removing his hand from his mouth as hope rose in his cold tightened chest.

“My… Child?”

His voice was barely a whisper. He lifted his arm and his hand hovered just before the child.

_Are they… could they really be?..._

The child pressed their head against Grimm’s hand with a gentle purr.

“Mrrreh!”

Grimm choked back a sob, his hand rising to cover his mouth again. He could not hold back the tears as he scooped up his very much _alive_ and _not infected praise the flames_ child and held them close to his chest. He leaned over almost protectively as relieved sobs wracked his body.

His child was well and truly _alive._ His most precious little one was alive and well and _still here-_

The flames of despair that had been building up throughout his body finally began to die down and a great weight lifted from Grimm’s chest as he slumped even further down, hugging his child close never wanting to let go.

Said child squirmed in his arms but did not try to break away or bite him. Instead they popped their little head up from Grimm’s arms with a confused and worried chirrup as they nuzzled their head against his chin.

He felt a small gentle pat on his wing. Grimm flinched at the contact and he hissed protectively as he held his child close. He barely raised his head an inch, cracking his eyes open to face the new threat with fangs bared.

But there was no threat. It was only little Ghost who was now standing right beside him staring up at him with that dark gaze on their impassive shell.

Grimm blinked. He had almost completely forgotten about them, having been so overwhelmed with the fact his child was still alive. Ghost tilted their head not fazed by Grimm’s previous protective aggression and very gently patted his wing again.

There was no expression to be seen, but Grimm could almost sense the worry emanating from the little child vessel.

He remembered the torn up remains from his dream and his heart ached.

They had kept their promise. They had taken care of his child.

And they were not dead either.

He wanted to thank them, but Grimm still could not form any words to say. Instead, he reached out with an arm and scooped little Ghost into his embrace alongside the child, holding the both of them close.

If little Ghost was surprised at Grimm’s act, they did not show it. Instead he felt a pair of tiny arms attempt to wrap themselves around his chest, alongside a small pair of wings. He let out a shuddering breath, and with the little bit of strength he still had Grimm leaned back up against the padded wall of his resting place, wrapping his body and the children he held in his cloak like wings.

“It is alright my little ones” Grimm breathed shakily, finally finding his voice, though it was hoarse and barely a whisper. “Everything will be alright.”

He received no verbal response, but he felt the two children snuggle closer. He closed his eyes, breathing in and out slowly and shakily as the lingering panic still within the corners of his mind slowly ebbed away. He held them close, allowing them to grant him their warmth and comfort which helped guide his mind away from the orange filled darkness and back into the warm comforting light of the scarlet flame, as he closed his eyes and fell back into a blissfully dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the art post and IMMEDIATELY felt inspired to write this. I knocked it out in about 3 hours... 4? I don't know i lost track.  
> I've been meaning to write some Hollow Knight stuff for some time now. Of course my first fic for it had to be an angsty one. I'll write something fluffier next time i promise.
> 
> Also - i am a HUGE sucker for Grimm Dad. I had to throw little Ghost in here as well because of that, plus i wanted Grimm to have that extra bit of comfort. Poor Grimm.
> 
> Anyways thanks for reading hope you enjoyed it. ~
> 
> UPDATE 17/2/2020: [WE GOT FANART!!](https://glowingmooncreations.tumblr.com/post/190869988681/he-wanted-to-thank-them-but-grimm-still-could) GO CHECK IT OUT ITS AMAZING!! ;O;


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